A Devil of a Time
by LionofPerth
Summary: Harry gets a little gift, more particularly a demon arm and all that entails. Apathetic Harry, lots of splat, and gore, odd bit of bad language, let alone the couple in the first chapter....... you have been warned. Read and Review please.
1. Journey's End, and Start

New fic idea... curse these plot bunnies. Time to go ARCLIGHT on them.

HP/DMC4. Harry is somewhat like Nero, ie the demon arm.

Rating: M, to be sure I guess.

Pairing: Harry and Ginny. You guys should know I love this pairing. Again, you want the reason behind why, PM me and I'll do my best to explain.

Another idea, hoping I can bust out the Beyond the Rim and Darkness chapters I got sitting on this machine soon, maybe another for Sleight of Hand, and some more for Aussie Wizard, guess it depends how much work I have.

Reviews will help me decide which fic I work on, so please leave one when you've finished with a fic. Just one that tells me how you feel about the fic makes me a happy writer.

* * *

Harry woke suddenly, the afternoon sun burning into his eyes.

'We're almost there, did you fall asleep?' the truck driver asked Harry.

'Must of,' Harry replied.

'You wanted Ottery St Catchpole right?'

'Yeah, I did.'

'Give it another five minutes, anywhere you wanted to go in particular?'

'Just the middle of town will do, I'll work it out from there.'

'It's not that small a town you know.'

'I know, like I say, I'll just work something out... how much do I owe you?'

'Fifty pounds should cover it.'

'Thanks.'

'No problems.'

Harry reached into the pocket of his leather duster, pulling out a large roll of notes. He pulled off a note, passing it to the driver.

'Thanks, I only said fifty,' the driver said.

'Smallest I have,' Harry said with a shrug. He reached for the guitar case behind the two seats. 'I'll jump off at the next red light.'

'Yeah, if you're sure...' the driver started, but Harry had already jumped out of the truck. 'Strange guy, I wonder if something is wrong with his left arm. He didn't use it at all'

Harry walked down the busy street, the looks he was receiving coming from both ends of the spectrum. The older generations tended to look at his outfit, a black leather duster, thick black jeans, jackboots with a red shirt over a white shirt, with some disgust. The younger generations, especially the teens looked at him as some type of deity. He stopped in front of a small deli, trying to remember the last time he ate. He adjusted the strap for the guitar case, before walking inside. He saw his reflection, the dramatic changes in his appearance still hadn't been fully accepted yet. The one thing he did appreciate was somehow his eyes had corrected themselves.

Harry pulled out another hundred pound note, before he walked up to the counter, and ordered a pizza to go with a bottle of water. He looked outside while he waited, seeing Hedwig sitting on a lamppost.

_I never wanted all of this_ Harry thought. _It was bad last year... but this is just..._

Harry snapped back into the living world when he heard his pizza was ready. He grabbed the pizza, and walked towards the park, knowing Hedwig was following him. He found a tree with a large shadow on one side and sat in it, glad to be out of the sun for a moment.

'Come on Hedwig, we both need to eat,' Harry called. After a second he saw his now off white owl land on his thigh. 'Well, we should be able to relax in a little while, okay?'

Hedwig hooted in reply, as ever, but this time Harry caught a sense of relief. He pulled the pizza apart, before pulling out chunks of bacon for Hedwig. She started to eat slowly.

'I know it's still hot girl,' Harry said, starting on his slice. _Damn the Goblins, damn those bloody sheep who call themselves people, damn that bitch of a reporter Skeeter..._

His thoughts were disturbed as someone was trying to get his attention. 'Yes?' Harry drawled.

'I'm sorry... but your hair, where did you go?' a man asked.

'My parents, because it's like this naturally,' Harry replied, still feeling annoyed.

'Right, err, sorry,' the man said before he walked away.

_Pansy_ Harry thought, far more venomously than he would have ever before he changed. He continued to eat in silence, occasionally pulling more bacon off for Hedwig. He looked at the greying sky, deep black rain clouds appearing on the horizon.

'Well Hedwig, looks like you're getting a wash tonight,' Harry commented. Hedwig hooted, again, in relief it felt like. 'I could do with it more than you.' Hedwig shook her head, before she flew onto his shoulder. 'Think you could give me some directions?' He stood up, Hedwig pointed her head in the direction she wanted to go. Harry smirked, folding the now empty pizza box with a single hand, keeping the other hidden in the duster. He walked by a bin, throwing the box inside before he opened the bottle of water he bought, drinking half of it in a single go. He looked at Hedwig, who didn't seem that interested in having a drink, and continued out of the park, following the direction of his owl's head. He walked for at least two hours before the rain started, Hedwig hopping down to his other arm.

'Not much further is it?' Harry asked Hedwig, who again hooted in reply. 'At least the scenery is familiar.'

Harry took a turn off the main road, the orchard to his left the one he was after. He stopped at the top of a small rise, seeing the Burrow in the distance. The rain increased in intensity, the drops stinging Harry's face. He sighed, before he continued to walk towards the Burrow. He smiled when he eventually reached the door. He knocked on it a few times.

* * *

Molly Weasley was not a happy woman by any stretch of the imagination. Her twin sons had completely ignored her advice. She didn't mind they were doing well, which was better than _one_ of her sons. She had just seen his OWLS and was far from impressed. If only _he_ took after Hermione more then he would have much better options for _his _future. She stormed over to the door and yanked it open.

'Molly?' the white haired young man in front of her asked.

She didn't even reply, simply slamming the door in his face.

* * *

'Well Hedwig, it looks like another motel for us,' Harry said before walking away from the Burrow. Hedwig hooted, before she flew off to a tree outside the Burrow. 'You'll find me huh? Alright.'

Ginny sat at her desk trying to work on some homework, but the rain kept distracting her. She scratched the ankle she broke before she looked out the window. She could see a person with all white hair at the door. She tried to listen but only made out a few words. When she saw the person walk away from the Burrow she wondered what was going on.

_Harry's owl is named Hedwig right?_ Ginny thought. She walked to the kitchen, still seeing her mother was in a bad mood.

'Mum, I think that was Harry,' Ginny said, cutting off her mother mid rant.

'No, Harry is so very different,' Molly started. 'For one thing, he's not so...'

'But isn't his owl called Hedwig?'

'It is,' Molly started. 'That was Harry?'

'Yes Mum, I think so, and hasn't he been added to wards?'

'Oh dear, Ginny, can you go and find him?'

'In this weather?'

'Grab my jacket... just go...' Molly said, now sounding very worried. 'Oh... what will he think of me?'

'It'll be okay Mum,' Ginny said as she left the Burrow. She took off down the track. She hit the road into Ottery St Catchpole and saw Harry ahead of her. She called out his name a few times, but he didn't seem to hear her. She again, tried to catch up with him, but by the time she did they had just reached the outskirts of town.

'Harry, is that you?' Ginny panted.

'Ginny?' Harry asked. 'What's going on?'

'Mum's... sorry, she didn't recognise you,' Ginny said, regaining her breath.

'Really?' Harry asked. 'Well, we need to get out of this rain.'

'What happened Harry?' Ginny asked, sounding worried. 'That bitch wrote about you just as the holidays started and then...'

'It's a long story,' Harry said, as he opened the door to a small backpacker's hostel. He got a small room for the night, one that they discovered had both a sofa and a bed in it. 'If the rain stays.'

'Alright, but what happened Harry, you look so different,' Ginny started. She stopped when she saw his left arm. It looked like plates of some type of bone had grown around the outside, while the tips of his fingers seemed to be glowing faintly. 'What's that?'

'This?' Harry asked, revealing the full changes in his left arm. The plates had seemingly grown down the elbow, and a little beyond it, forming a type of arm guard. The same type of bony plates covered his fingers and the back of his hand as well. 'I have no idea.'

He seemed to concentrate for a moment, before the arm flickered, it's appearance changing to that of a normal arm. 'I can't keep it up long, only about an hour.'

'Right, just what did happen?' Ginny asked. 'The Prophet says you're half demon or something...'

'I am,' Harry replied, opening the guitar case. Ginny gasped, on seeing the contents. Three guns, two of them a small machine pistol, while the other was a long rifle with a grenade launcher. The final item was a sword, and it was almost too large to be wielded effectively in her mind. She blinked as Harry picked it up single handed before spinning in a series of circular cuts. He stopped the sword, just seeming to place it on his back.

'What... how...' Ginny stuttered.

'Do you want some dinner?'

'Ah, yes, thank you.'

'Anything in particular, or just here?'

'Here will do.'

'It makes things easier,' Harry said, then stopped suddenly. He could hear a faint thumping noise. 'Could you hold on a moment?'

'Sure Harry,' Ginny replied. She watched Harry leave the room, sword still strapped to his back.

'Bloody people don't know the meaning of privacy do they?' Harry muttered as he opened the door, which he guessed was locked by the sounds of wood breaking. He walked over to the furthest bunk, ripping the sheet away. He saw a man and a blonde woman in the middle of their intimate moment. She looked at Harry coyly for a few seconds before she said 'woof woof.'

Harry just covered his eyes and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him. He stopped as he was about to descend the stairs, the familiar weight of his sword was present. He quickly placed the sword in his room before he went back to deli and bought two more pizzas. He returned with one Supreme and one Hawaiian. He set the Hawaiian in front of Ginny, before starting on his own.

'Um, thanks,' Ginny said shyly. 'Do you want to start your story?'

'What do you want to know?' Harry asked in between mouthfuls.

'Everything, like why no owls could reach you, I...we're all worried about you.'

Harry paused. He was sure he heard an 'I' in her last statement. 'It all starts with the left arm and my eyes.'

* * *

Can any one guess the position? And yes, I've actually heard someone say that when they were caught out. Believe me, it's not what you expect.


	2. What the?

Harry woke up slowly, his room strangely in focus without his glasses. He pulled his glasses on to see his vision go blurry. He took them off, and placed them aside. He tried to remember what he dreaming but only saw flashes of it. He had the feeling Voldemort had made some type of deal with something... evil, something that made him look like a decent person, though he was still no boy scout. He stretched out, before he caught sight of his left arm. He blinked in shock.

He saw his left arm was very different to the way he remembered. It looked like a bony plate had grown over his arm. The plates formed some type of guard, with patches of blue that seemed to glow. He turned his hand around, seeing a glowing blue patch in the middle of his palm, with solid blue lines breaking up the strange bony plates that made his arm and hand.

'What the hell?' Harry groaned. He looked at the end of the bed, seeing his feet hung off the edge. 'Bloody hell.'

He climbed out of bed, muscling groaning in protest. He looked around the small room, now feeling even smaller.

_Some life I have_ Harry thought as he heard some heavy steps heading towards his room. He knew that it was trouble, quickly grabbing his wand and invisibility cloak with his left hand. As the door open a blue green glow covered the two items, before the light brightened, covering them. When Harry could see clearly, his left arm was still glowing slightly.

'What the... get out you freak, and take that ruddy bird with you!' Vernon stuttered. 'NOW!'

'I...' Harry started, but ducked underneath a punch from his uncle. 'Jeez, that almost hit me.'

_What the hell? Why did I say that?_ Harry thought as some hair dropped in front of his eyes. This only added to his shock. It was pure white.

'Get out of my house your freak...' Vernon yelled .

'Listen... just give me a moment,' Harry started, again, barely avoiding a fist. 'You just don't get it.'

Harry reached forward with his right arm, somehow catching the collar of his so-called uncle's shirt. Harry pulled his uncle forwards as he cocked his left arm, ready to punch. What happened next took both parties by surprise. Harry effortlessly hauled his uncle of his feet, then when he hit his uncle he flew through the wall.

_Oh shit, I really need to disappear_ Harry thought as he heard more footsteps approaching his room. He blinked, expecting to be seen by his aunt and cousin, but they could only see the damage.

_What the hell?_ Harry thought. He listened to their complaints about him as they helped his uncle to car, and to what Harry guessed, was the nearest hospital. He was sure he could still see an imprint of his fist in Vernon's stomach. He walked into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. He couldn't see anything but the wall behind him. He concentrated on being visible, and shimmered into view. He studied his new appearance. His hair was white, pure white, not a trace of any blonde at all.

'This is...' Harry started. He could still make up an angry red line on his forehead, but it seemed dimmer somehow. 'For once these rags fit me.' He wondered through the house, seeing if he could find some better clothes, or something in which he could hide his arm. He knew anything of Vernon or Dudley would be out of the question, not to mention he had no wand to resize things.

'I suppose the attic is worth a go,' Harry said aloud. He found the cover and pulled it down. 'Yeap, I'm taller.'

He climbed the steps into the attic, seeing some boxes labelled old clothes. He picked one up, but stopped when a blue green glow shot over the box. He set it down and opened it. He pulled out the clothes, shirts and jeans the main items. He saw a leather duster at the bottom. He tipped the box over, and looked at the garments scattered on the floor. He tried on most of the shirts and jeans. He blinked as he reached for the final set of jeans. Everything in the box fit him perfectly. It was odd beyond words. He eventually decided on a simple white shirt, the thickest of the jeans, but stopped. A particular zip up shirt at the bottom of the pile caught his attention. It was bright red, with a brass zip up the middle.

_Can't hurt to try it out_ Harry thought, pulling the shirt on over his other shirt. He zipped it up, leaving the top six inches open. He looked around, seeing a covered mirror on the other side of the attic. He pulled the cover off and had a look at himself. The red over the white, with the black worked well. His hair was still uncontrollable, but it wasn't that much longer than he remembered.

'Now, for some boots,' Harry said looking around. He found a box with shoes written on the side, and again, the blue green flash covered the box. He knew whatever he found inside would fit him. Immediately his attention was drawn to a set of boots. He guessed they were originally bought for Dudley, as he was _supposed_ to get some summer work, but that never happened. Harry pulled the boots out, which to his relief had socks stuffed in them. He adjusted the laces, wriggling his toes for a few moments. He liked the feel of the boots.

_Now about this arm, I need to do something..._ Harry's thoughts started, but he saw the duster. He picked it up turning it around a few times. He liked the look of it, only two pockets on the outside. It wasn't too bulky either, with no obvious seems on the outside as well. He threw it over his shoulders, before sticking his right arm through the sleeve for it. He looked at the mirror again.

_Not too bad I guess_ he thought, before he walked out of the small house. He wondered just what was going to happen now. _Head the Gringotts, maybe there's a house I can go to._

He started to walk out of the house passing by his room to collect some money, he was wondering if the Goblins could help him before his thoughts to the Department of Mysteries. His thoughts then scattered completely. He wanted to grieve, but if he was honest with himself, he had no time to grieve. He considered his current state of being, now asking himself the question of if he was even human anymore. He walked by an old couple, making sure his left arm was hidden deep within the duster. He eventually found the bus stop, glad he could now try to summon the Knight Bus. He held out his right arm for a minute, getting nothing. He looked around, but the bus simply didn't appear. He looked around carefully, then tried his left hand, which caused the Knight Bus to appear in a second. He quickly hid his arms, before he climbed onboard.

He paid the conductor, noticing Stan was missing. He stayed standing, somehow the motion of the Knight Bus not affection him at all. He saw a witch with grey hair glare at him for half of his trip till she got off in Dublin, before the bus shot off again. When he finally reached the Leaky Cauldron he stepped off, glad he didn't have his trunk with him.

_Of course, those books are useless without a wand _Harry thought, walking straight through the dingy pub, and to his luck, straight into Diagon Alley. The leather dust billowed behind him, the crowd parting ahead of him. He saw the white marble of Gringotts and smiled. Things could only get better from here on. He walked inside, finding a small queue waiting for him. He waited till he reached the counter and looked at the goblin there.

'Hello, I don't have my key on me, is there a test I can do to prove my identity?' Harry asked.

The goblin looked at him shocked for a moment. 'Yes, there are options.'

'Would it be possible to try them?' Harry asked. 'I don't have much time.'

'I can understand that,' the goblin replied before he was told to go to a side room. He sat down for a little while, before three goblins entered the room. One of them carried a large box.

'If you could place your left hand in the box,' the elder goblin started.

'Does it have to be my left?' Harry asked worriedly.

'It must be your left,' the same goblin replied.

'Very well,' Harry muttered, before he pulled his hand out and placed it over the box. The three goblins backed away, muttering in their own language. He didn't like the feeling he was getting from the goblins. This feeling was confirmed as more goblins swarmed into the room, though the difference was the fact these ones were armed and armoured.

'Listen, you could just ask you know?' Harry asked, wishing emphatically for a sword. He felt something appear in his right hand, something that felt just right for his hand. The goblins muttering changed tone, this time the tone was worried. They backed off slightly.

'Would you just leave, if we asked?' the elder goblin asked in disbelief.

'Yes, you just had to ask,' Harry replied, though his grip tightened on his sword.

'You have five minutes,' the elder goblin said, pointing towards the door.

'I'm out of here,' Harry said, placing the sword on his back. He didn't hear the excited chatter between the two soldier goblins.

'Did you see the sword?' the first started.

'A work of true magic,' the second one added.

'He will be powerful,' the first said. They both paused when their elder smacked their ears.

'We will help when the times come, but he will need to make his own way for the moment,' the elder said sternly.

'Yes Chief,' the two soldiers replied, holding their bruised ears.

Harry stormed out of the bank, feeling very angry. He'd hoped something would go right today. He continued to vent, arriving in Diagon Alley fuming. One thing he did notice which was not present before, were the strange creatures that had appeared while he was inside. He studied their appearance of them, sack like, with a single axe like blade on either an arm, or leg.

'What now? Don't tell me I'm the one you want?' Harry complained. One of the creatures brought the blade on its arm down, Harry taking the last possible second to avoid the downward slice. 'This is my favourite coat, try not to damage it.'

The same scarecrow like demon charged at Harry again, though this time he used the demon arm to grab the creature, then flip it over his shoulder. He brought it down through another scarecrow demon, both of them disappearing in a flash of black dust. He caught the large axe like blade of one of the scarecrow demons, before he spun around and threw it at another who was standing over a small girl. The demon disappeared in a flash of black dust, before Harry looked at the crowd.

'I think you should leave now, things are going to get, rather violent,' Harry said. He stopped, as he felt a large presence form behind him. 'Screw that, this isn't going to just be violent, but probably really painful for both parties involved.'

The smarter people in the crowd paled as they saw the creature behind Harry, all of them Apparating away in that moment. Three seconds later the Alley seemed deserted.

_Some tumbleweed would finish the look_ Harry thought as he turned towards the few goblins he could see out the front of Gringotts. 'Listen I just wanted to access my vault, what do I need to...'

The goblins spoke in their language for a bit, before they too left the alley. Harry heard a snort of annoyance behind him, before he stepped to the left, avoiding the sword that would have bifurcated him.

'Hey, just you wait, I'm in the middle of something,' Harry called over his shoulder. He suddenly felt alot of heat. He turned around seeing the demon in front of him pointing a very large sword at him. The only way he describe the creature was a giant centaur with horns, and crystallized fire running down its back. 'But I guess I could make an exception for you.'

Harry cracked his knuckles before he reached for his sword. He rolled his shoulders. 'Tango, foxtrot, swing or ballroom? Your choice.'

* * *

A/N: Think I'm getting the style right? Just tell me what you think in a review.

Well, that and it helps me write too, so if you want to see more of a fic, leave a review so I feel good about writing. It helps my muse.


	3. Flame

'You are like He was,' the fire demon spat.

'And He would be?' Harry asked, shrugging. 'I mean that's _so_ general.'

'Sparda, but unlike him, you will die,' the fire demon added raising it sword.

'They all say that,' Harry, rolling on top of the blade as it swung. He planted his own sword in the ground, using that to stop his roll, before he jumped over the next swing, ending up on the top of the building to the side.

_Shit, I need to watch my strength_ Harry thought. 'Come on Mr Slow, I'm over here.'

Harry leapt to the other side, striking the demon across the eyes, his blow almost entirely ineffective. He leapt over the sword again, landing on the back of the creature, smashing the crystals on his back. He saw a crack appear, long before he got a chance to land a second blow he felt alot of heat and leapt off the demon's back, landing on a chimney. He looked to see the demon had weakened somewhat, its fires weakest around the fractured crystal.

He felt something slam into him, flying through the air, and through the building. He saw the hole in the wall he was blasted through, his coat strangely undamaged by the force. He pushed himself up, the demon pushing through the building towards, his front left hoof going through the bathroom, steam rising from the broken pipes.

'My chiropractor is going to thank you,' Harry started. 'But she's just so much gentler. Looks better too.'

The demon continued to move through the ruined house, the flames of its back igniting the wooden structure, Harry barely avoiding the sword, now seeing it was obsidian, he scrambled into the neighbouring building, nothing he could think of had much an effect on the demon. He smashed through the window, the glass bouncing off his skin as if was nothing. He looked down Knockturn Alley, the hags and other denizens, barely noticing Harry. He ran into Borgin and Burkes, throwing aside someone. He turned around quickly, seeing the demon had finally caught sight of him.

'Draco-kins, say hello to Daddy for me,' Harry said, pushing Draco outside, and into the path of the demon. He started to smell smoke, leaping over the counter, heading out of the store as fast as he could.

'Sparda... face me,' the demon called, its voice echoing in the alley.

_Yeah, when I know how to kill you_ Harry replied mentally, slowing his breathing down. _Water should put him out..._ He thought as best he could trying to remember where a large water fountain was, the only one he could think of was the one in between Gringotts and another alley, the opposite of Knockturn, that led away from the bank. He had a feeling that he could follow the path of his alley, through Knockturn, exiting by the bank, only a hundred feet or so away from the fountain.

'Flame breath! You want me, find me!' Harry shouted. He ran down the alleyway, using his sword to cut through obstructions. He made a left turn, only to find it came to dead end. He saw smoke rising, guessing the demon had followed him though the building. He could see a ledge he could hold onto, then launch himself up the rest of the way. He placed the sword on his back, still not sure of his strength he leapt as high as he could, pushing with his legs he cleared the wall. He flew over the wall, dropping to the ground alot faster than he expected, his landing leaving cracks in the pavement. He relaxed, for a moment, but a moment too long, smoke filling the narrow alleyway quickly.

'I can smell you Sparda,' the demon bellowed. 'You can't run. I'll kill you like your family kills mine!'

'Gets boring after the first time!' Harry shouted, running down the alley, finding no way to exit the alley. He jumped up a building side, running across the roof, the demon leaving a burning trail of destruction as it passed. The demon pushed through another house, burning debris flying in the air as the demon charged down the alley, turning to follow Harry.

Harry dived behind the fountain, the obsidian sword cutting through the marble with no effort. Water sprayed from the cut sections, steam filling the air. Harry drew his own sword, charging towards the densest part of the cloud, his sword first striking obsidian first, chunks of black stone flying up from the strike, then the sword biting in the demon's body, magma leaking out of the wound.

'First blood you, Sparda,' the demon said, steam still obscuring the area. Harry ducked as his opponent's sword swung wildly though the air, more buildings damaged as the giant blade cleaved through their walls. Harry struck again, his sword biting deeply again, the demon dropping onto its wounded leg. Harry rolled out of the way, the tail of his duster almost trapped underneath the hoof. Harry smiled for a moment, his expression quickly changing as the demon forced itself back onto its four feet, bright red and orange magma flowing down the wounded leg. He barely raised his sword, driven into the ground by the force of the swing of the giant blade of his opponent. His head smashed into the blade, Harry seeing stars for what seemed like years, the world still spinning as he rose, his own sword barely keeping the obsidian blade at bay.

He could feel the blade slipping in his hands, his palms finding no grip on the blade. Harry locked his shoulder into the guard, the obsidian blade starting to break under the pressure it was under. Silver lines slowly running through the material.

'You are weak Sparda, I will beat you,' the demon spat. 'Everyone will know the name of Belius, slayer of one of Sparda's line.'

'Get in line,' Harry spat out. 'You've got a _long_ way to go yet.'

Harry pushed as hard as he could into his sword, the minor fractures in the obsidian blade breaking, the sword falling apart quickly. Harry brought his own sword up, taking the left hand off the demon, his following through biting deeply into unwounded front leg, again, the demon dropping.

_If only I could get another hit on the head _Harry thought, keeping his demon arm in front of him.

He looked at the fire demon again, feeling confused as his demon arm shot out, pulling the head down towards him, he took the chance to kill it, the sword piercing right in between its eyes, tiny sparks dropping from it. He pulled the sword out, kicking the demon, its head snapped back, the spine broken from the force. It fell forward, turning into tiny sparks, almost like fireflies as it fell, nothing reaching the ground. Harry turned around, seeing an orb appear where the head would have been.

He touched the orb in front of him with both hands, the bright light fading revealing two small machine pistols in his hands. He twirled them around, the red and blue flames, red on the right, blue on the left, shone brightly against the dark body. He felt some more of the sack demons behind him, turning quickly he started to fire, each burst cutting like a scythe through the demons. Two bullets that had no hit anything continued on, shooting through two ragged pig tails on a girl's head. She whimpered, before she cried, Harry deciding that discretion was the better part of valour disappeared, no sign anything had happened in the alley.

* * *

Kingsley and Tonks looked at the state of the alley, for once glad of so much destruction. Knockturn Alley was little more than a sea of ash and burnt timber. Tonks saw a small girl near Gringotts, an older sibling holding her as she cried. She pointed the pair out to Kingsley, both of them moving towards the pair.

'Excuse me, did you see what happened?' Kingsley asked.

'No, my sister did,' the Hogwarts aged man replied.

'Can I ask your sister some questions?' Tonks asked. 'You are?'

'Dean Thomas,' Dean replied, before looking at his sister. 'Can you talk to the auror?'

His sister nodded her reply, starting to describe what she saw. Kingsley and Tonks listened intently, not believing the story, but after seeing all of the damage in the two alleys, it was surprisingly easy to believe.

* * *

'What about after that?' Ginny asked.

'Afterwards?' Harry asked. 'I found a couple, with a guitar case, the guitar in pieces. I killed the demons threatening them. They gave me what little they had. It was enough for a few days. I couldn't thank them enough for that.'

'Who were they?'

'Don't know, if I see em again, I owe them big time. Blonde chick, very busty, the guy, I don't know, white hair like me. They seemed odd, you know?' Harry said, holding his out in front of his chest when he described the woman.

'I guess,' Ginny said, looking at the empty pizza box in front of her.

'Still hungry?' Harry asked, Ginny easily reading how he felt.

'No, quite full, thank you,' Ginny started. 'What about the couple? What did you feel about them?'

'Not quite here or there. Out of place I guess.'

'I know what you mean.'

'How did you get around? Where did you go?'

'Whichever way the traffic went, at least till now,' Harry said, the rain just as hard as it was before.

Ginny looked out of the window, waiting for Harry to start again. A minute silence passed, neither of them willing to break it. Ginny looked at Harry, his expression blank but his eyes filled with activity. Ginny swore she could read his thoughts through his eyes. 'Do you think we'll make it back to the Burrow tonight?'

'Not a chance, not in this weather. If you're tired take the bed,' Harry said. 'I'll be fine with the sofa.'

'It's fine, not just yet,' Ginny replied quickly. 'You don't mind if I lie down?'

'Go ahead,' Harry said, throwing his pizza box accurately into the bin.

'How did you do it? How did you keep going?'

'I didn't have a choice, Hedwig took near a week to find me. After that, no-one sent me a thing.'

'I would have, if I knew.'

'Thank you.'

Ginny chewed on her lower lip for a moment. 'You can lie down too, it's a big bed.'

'Thanks, but I'll be fine with the sofa.'

'Harry, if you're on the sofa then so am I, you've been through so much you should have a chance to relax.'

'Gin, it's appreciated, but I'm fine, honestly, do you want me to continue?'

'I'd like that, thank you,' Ginny replied. 'Just lie down Harry. I want you to.'

'Mother's spirit huh?' Harry asked, lying down on the opposite side to Ginny, keeping some space between the two, Ginny reducing it slightly.

'I look after the people I care about,' Ginny said.

'It shows, do you want me to continue?' Harry asked, placing both hands behind his head.

'Yes, please,' Ginny replied. She turned on her side, seeing Harry shut his eyes for a moment. She liked the sound of his voice, listening to him describe his first night free of his relatives.

* * *

'Have you heard about Harry Albus?' Minerva asked worriedly.

'No, what happened?' Albus asked.

'Harry defended himself from his uncle, and disappeared,' Minerva replied.

'I see, does the Order have any idea where he could be?'

'No, nothing. There's no sign of him. He's doesn't know about the Headquarters, Molly not seen him, so he must still be in Surrey.'

'I have no better idea than you, unfortunately.'

Minerva paused for a moment. 'I told you it was a bad idea to leave him there after the Tournament. Surely Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger know where he is. He would have owled them the moment there was trouble.

Albus Dumbledore remained silent, his deputy reading the truth in his silence.

'What did you do?' Minerva asked. 'First _you_ leave him with those.... animals...'

'Minerva,' Albus countered.

'I told you they were the worst sort,' Minerva said. 'You left him there with no contact with anyone and you expect him to just remain there?'

'It's for his best, the wards there...' Albus started, looking at the trinkets on the desk. He looked over one in particular, the silver spinning top stopping, then falling apart, the outer ring dropping away, the blood with leaking out, a black sludge spreading over the table.

'What? That I was right, and the abuse he suffered at their hands could have caused such a change?'

'That is all I hope. What do you know about the legend of Sparda?'


	4. Forest

Harry looked out of the small room, the only one he could find at short notice last night. The dawn light pushed through the thin curtains, almost as thin as the ones at Privet Drive which was a little scary. The guitar case was closed, the large end sticking out slightly. He rubbed his eyes, still perfect. His mouth felt dry, and he could still taste last night pizza, not that he would ever go back to that deli again. He looked back out the window, the dregs finally coming home from the pubs and clubs. Harry pushed the window open, the cold wind carrying the smell of cheap booze effortlessly towards Harry.

'Drunks,' Harry muttered, looking around for the water he bought last night with the pizza. He drank that as quickly as he could, his stomach settling for a moment. The idea of a meal was tempting, but he checked the roll of cash, and it was only around half its previous size. He remembered a small deli, family run he thought, which had some of the best prices he'd seen. A toast bacon and egg sandwich felt like a very good idea. He was quickly out the door, and out of the poorly kept hostel, heading straight towards the deli, the store open. He pushed the door open, the young woman behind the counter smiling at him.

He ordered the sandwich, keeping his demon arm hidden, before he collected the change and his breakfast, walking out of the deli. He stopped when he saw a notice board, a handwritten note catching his attention. Not only did it sound like it was dealing with demons of some description, this person had put a rather large bounty on returning an amulet or necklace, Harry couldn't be sure of it. He finished the sandwich, then ripped the note from the board. He read the address, sure he could reach it on foot.

Little more than an hour passed, and he found the address, the only problem being that it was in an alley, and somehow a forest had grown between the start of it, and the end of it, a hill in the distance where the other end of the alley appeared, as if from magic. He could only scratch his head, he was used to one type of magic, it seemed, but this was far beyond what he thought was possible. Not to mention even the wizards he saw around it had no idea how to deal with it. Harry blinked a few times, stepping from the street, his boots sinking slightly into the soft earth, a warm peaty smell reaching his nostrils. He walked down the hill, the smell getting stronger as he progressed.

He stopped by a hollowed out tree, the fig vines the only living part he could see. He pulled his sword and twin machine pistols, each item going in its correct place, Harry torn between the machine pistols and the sword. He decided on the sword, hacking through a few dense patches of vines. He wondered how such a thing was possible, nothing he knew could have created such an effect so quickly, or openly. He could feel something moving in the forest, but nothing seemed to be moving. A faint wind pushed a small branch out of the way, Harry turning and drawing one machine pistol with his free hand, a single round leaving the barrel. The shot echoed through the forest, a few birds in the distance scattering.

Total silence followed for a few seconds, then a body dropped from the trees, landing heavily. Roars of anger suddenly followed, Harry firing a burst over his shoulder, another body falling to the ground. Rustling reached Harry's ears, the sound building in intensity quickly, hisses likewise building in volume. For a moment he thought he should have understood them, but that thought was driven from his mind as a dozen of the lizard demons leap into the air, all of their weapons pointed at him.

_If you want me that badly _Harry thought, sheathing the machine pistol in his left hand. He leapt up, his swings cutting through the spear hafts and shields effortlessly. When he landed on the other side of the clearing only nine of the creatures had been slain, the others while wounded, were still out for blood. One roared, half its snout covered in blood. Something oozed from its ruined eye, the creature licking its own blood. Harry felt more of the demons in the forest, driven on by the death of their pack.

He stopped counted how long he waited till the creatures attacked, the first attack coming from the rear, which was so very predictable. The creature ran straight onto the sword, its momentum carrying all the way down the length of the sword, Harry not noticing the weight swung the sword effortlessly, the claws and talons cutting a bloody path through the other demons. Arms and limbs flew away from the melee, shrieks of rage faded into pitiful wails as more of the demons charged from the forest towards the melee, and their demise. He finally freed his sword from the corpse impaled on it, nearly ripping the demon in half as he threw it at a tree trunk, blood spraying into the air as it hit.

He looked around, each one of the bodies at his feet glowing a faint red, the outer most bodies faded first, the strange red glow growing in intensity as it got closer to him, as the last bodies faded away the red energy flowed across the ground towards Harry. Instead of attacking him it ran up his side, seeking his demon arm. The essence flowed into his arm, more energy than Harry had ever felt before running through his body, veins standing on end focused on the feeling, knowledge appearing in his mind, new techniques and tricks coming to minds, his weapons all glowed with the energy, somehow knowing his sword was a little sharper, and heavier as if there was a liquid inside it. The machine pistols felt heavier as well, their barrels just a little wider and longer, the flames on the body of each more intricate than before. He looked at his demon arm, still glowing red, before it faded, a final burst of knowledge appearing in his memory, the forest and its many paths known to him as if he'd spent a year wondering through them.

He looked around, this time instead of just seeing the forest he saw the paths through it, which trees he could pass by safely, and those he couldn't. Another series of pictures followed it, a path leading through an abandoned village, then into some caves before they stopped, whatever horror was inside was something that he would recognise on feel alone. He set out towards the village, following a path that was so overgrown only the only sign it was there was the young trees that had been crushed under the clawed feet of the demons. He followed the path for a short time, seeing a few brass cases in the dirt, no more than five in a single group. A few more metres up the path a spent magazine stood out against the foliage, the metal glowing in the sunlight.

Harry studied the path, seeing the demon tracks, but inside some of the tracks he could see a boot, very different to his own. He followed the tracks for a while, only one in every four surviving. More spent cases and magazines until Harry saw the village, a few demons bodies scattered through the village, some half eaten though it wasn't clear it if was another demon, or their own kin. He looked in each hut in turn, pottery shards and ruined seats the only sign he could find it was once populated. The more he looked the less he found, the middle of the village free of any evidence. He saw a small pyramid temple, the steps covered in dried blood, whatever fight had gone on was a few hours old, minimum, and there was a chance someone was alive. He jogged towards the temple, almost slipping on a patch of still damp blood, which only pushed Harry to move faster, leaping up the stairs nearly ten at a time. He reached the top, more spent cases and magazines on the floor. He continued at his previous pace, searching the top of the pyramid quickly he found nothing. He stopped for a moment, going back to the main chamber, which had the largest numbers of spent cases in it and searched that, front to back. The room was large, easily ten metres along each wall, a row of stone pillars, cut into the wall. Only when he approached the alter did he see anything, a set of magazines lay on their side, waited to be used. Harry pulled the first from the stack did he see it was empty, just like the others in the stack.

Harry put his sword on his back, as ever just sticking in place, before he walked round the alter, the body there had been badly mauled, and the heart removed, and eaten. Teeth marks covered what was left of the chest, the body otherwise intact. Harry picked up the pistols, covered in blood, the trigger broken, and the slide jammed from the dried blood that covered it. The temple shook for a moment, the same roars from the lizard demons he fought before reaching Harry's ears. He looked to see half a dozen at the entrance to the temple, and they were charging towards him. He jumped over the alter, his foot catching the sling for the rifle, the force of his jump sending the rifle into his hands, finding the trigger and body quickly he set the rifle to semi automatic, each round destroying the head of the charging lizards, none of them making it halfway down the room. Again, the red energy flowed towards him, though this time it seemed to focus on his weapon, the magazine fusing to the body, the body of the rifle now covered in a set of vines, the thorns on them twice as long as the stem was wide.

He waited a few seconds, the temple shaking again, this time far more sedate than it was before. Another moment passed, Harry moving towards the body, searching for identifying marks or items. He pulled a set of dog tags free, covered in blood he couldn't read the name on them, before a wallet and a gold watch followed. He put everything inside the inside pocket of his jacket, before slinging the rifle, knowledge of how to use it slowly seeping into his mind. He wondered for a moment what caused the temple to shake as he walked down the stairs, avoiding the spots of still damp blood.

He reached the bottom, something in the temple activating, some of the stairs falling away, revealing a second part to the temple, this one below ground. A feeling of deep darkness, or a cloudy night reached Harry, and he guessed it was the horror the lizard demons felt. Torn between his weapons he decided on the rifle, a faint silver glow coming from the etchings on the side. The rifle body resembled liquid for a moment, a torch appearing on the right side of the body, the beam piercing through the darkness, a large opening in the otherwise solid stone at the bottom of the stairs.

_This has to be a trap_ Harry thought as he walked through the opening, a stone dropping behind him, no way out of the prison he was now in. The darkness in front of Harry moved, what little light shone over a creature that resembled a hybrid between a person and the lizard demons. While it stood on two legs as both creatures did, the walls said it could just as easily move on four. It had a shorter snout than the lizards did, but it's eyes seemed to have a 270 degree view, getting around it was going to be difficult. For the moment Harry saw it, its torso was far closer to human than anything else, as with its upper legs. Apart from that it was all demon, and Harry would have to kill it before it killed him.

The light disappeared again, this is time it stayed out, whatever the large demon had done was part of the structure, and not something he could undo easily. He heard the demon move over the walls, trying to follow it on sound alone he turned to his left, firing two shorts bursts to no effect. A few more bursts shot into the darkness, striking nothing but stone. He shook his head, then shut his eyes, just listening to what was going on in the temple, he walked forwards, almost able to picture his exact place in room, before he stopped suddenly, almost turning around he fired two short bursts, the scream of rage deafening. Dust fell from the ceiling, the sound of blood striking the floor allowing he creature to disappear again, this time it was able to hide it's movement with the echoing drops.

Harry tried to follow it again, having no luck with the drops he let the rifle go, drawing his sword, he listened for the drop, almost no time between him hearing it and it landing on the floor to his left. He felt creature drop from the ceiling, rolling away he avoided the shield in its left hand, which would have crushed him, if he didn't move. He swung at the shield, cutting off a quarter of it, but he still didn't hit the creature. Again, the creature moved, abandoning the shield. Harry moved on the shield, a gentle curve in the massive shield, nearly twice his height in length and three times his height across. He listened for the creature again, the blood drops still hiding it's movement until it stepped on the wooden board, Harry leap up, somehow moving above the second floor, his blind swings cutting into the demon, the roar of pain sending more dust from the ceiling down, and a few blocks with it as well.

Harry could make out a slightly darker patch light, this time he ran towards the demon, the tail passing just over his head, before he leap over it so he wouldn't trip. Again, his sword found the creature, half its tail now missing. Harry reached the demons body, stabbing his sword in as far as it would go he swung himself up, as he moved he reached for his rifle, setting to full automatic he turned on the torch, keeping his eyes closed. The creature looked straight up to avoid the bright light, Harry pulling the trigger a moment later. The muzzled glowed solidly for a second, the bright light after the total darkness destroying Harry's night vision. He kept the torch on, finding his sword he pulled it free, a flick sending all of the blood off the blade. He turned to go back to the entrance, but there was a glow coming from the demon, it shrank back, turning into an orb like the giant centaur did.

Harry wondered what he would get with form this orb, after all he had all the weapons he needed, and was surprised when it shot towards his rifle, the vines on the rifle bulging outwards for a moment, a scope and grenade launcher appearing. He knew how he was going to get out of the temple now, pointing his upgraded rifle at the stone door, firing the grenade launcher. A brilliant blue white bolt shot outwards, striking the stone slab blocking his path. Nothing was left of it but the dust in the sunlight, Harry glad to be free of the place. He looked to the hill, seeing it was far closer than he first guessed, he walked towards it, his guitar case resting in a similar tree to the one at the start of the forest. Pushing his confusion away for a moment he found that like his weapons, it had changed, already a spot for the rifle in the case. He walked up the hill, and knocked on the door, a young girl with tears running down her face opening the door after a moment.

'I'm here to help,' Harry said, his left arm hidden as it always was when he spoke to someone.

* * *

'Ginny?' Harry asked, looking at Ginny. She had fallen asleep, her arms still wrapped around his left arm. He looked at the clock, seeing two hours had passed he didn't know what to think. His left arm was still human, it had not reverted to its demon form. He saw a lot of white lines running over his arm, in the exact place he would have expected to see the plates. 'Ginny?'

He pulled his arm free, getting off the bed he pulled the covers on his side back, gently lifting Ginny and moving her over to the other side of the bed he tucked her in, her muttered reply lost to the rain outside. He sat on the edge of the bed, likewise lost in the rain. He focused for a moment, his arm quickly changing back to its demon form. This time he just changed the arm, hoping it would go back to the human form. He looked down at his arms, two human arms where there should only be one. The same marks he saw before covered his left arm.

_Thank you Ginny_ Harry thought, going to sleep on the sofa. He remembered what Ginny said, but he was to use to sleeping alone, for the moment anyway.


	5. Freeze

Ginny woke up slowly, the strange room worrying her at first, but she could make out Harry sleeping on the sofa, his feet up in the air. She called his name a few times, Harry stretching, before pulling a battered watch out of his coat.

'Morning,' Harry muttered, his tone dry. 'Do you want breakfast in town or at the Burrow?'

Ginny yawned, before looking out of the window. 'Morning, Burrow, but I wouldn't mind something on the way.'

'Alright, I'll freshen up a little, there's a bathroom on this floor,' Harry replied.

'Good, do you mind?'

'Go first, I'm still half asleep,' Harry said, rubbing his eyes, before sitting up properly.

Ginny was gone less than five minutes, Harry looking far more awake than he did previously. He drained the bottle of water left over from last night. He looked relaxed, despite his exhaustion, Ginny sure it was a chance to have a constant roof over his head. 'Sit down breakfast?'

'If you want, but I was thinking a toasted sandwich,' Harry said, breathing out.

'You could have slept on the bed,' Ginny said, seeing him stretch, rubbing his back.

'It's okay, I've slept on worse,' Harry said, his tone scaring Ginny for a moment. She wondered how bad it was for Harry. 'Sleep on the streets?'

'Not what I was thinking, but it's close enough.'

'I never slept on the streets, derelict places, warehouses, yeah. The hair and arm made life interesting.'

'Your arm!' Ginny exclaimed, still seeing two human arms.

'Something I owe ou for, I ordered, not asked,' Harry replied, touching the arm. 'It feels odd, I can just feel the plates, whatever they are, they're still there, just... not visible.'

'Either way, Mum will be glad to see you,' Ginny said. 'Can we leave now?'

'Sure, I'll be down in a moment,' Harry said, locking the guitar case before leaving the room, throwing the key at the man at the counter, Ginny a few steps behind him. He stopped at the same deli as before, this time buying two bottles of orange juice and a toasted sandwich, half each. Ginny jogged to keep up, Harry forcing himself to slow his pace.

'So, what happened, after that forest?'

'I ended up, I don't remember, but it was frozen in the middle of summer, so it was a good place to start,' Harry said, focusing on what he could remember.

* * *

Harry shivered, pulling the coat around him even tighter. It felt Arctic it was so cold, snow piled up by doors, yet the sun still shone brightly. He wasn't sure what was causing it, but his blood felt something, the exact feeling one he couldn't describe. He was sure it was demon that was causing the weather, and the cold, but no idea of where or how. He wondered into another motel, this one cheaper than the last, and thankfully, much better kept. He hired a room for the next three days, costing around half of his remaining money, the bounties keeping him well feed for a fortnight.

He wondered through the town, small hills of snow distant, whether man made or natural, it was hard to tell. He shivered again, the snow getting deeper for a moment, until he sank into it, a small avalanche following his fall. Somehow he managed to get in front of it, looking up at the wave of snow falling towards him. He wished his arm was human for a moment, standing on the guitar case his left hand pulling the front up and back towards himself. He leaned to the left, the shape of the guitar case like a keel. He felt some snow drop down his back, so he leaned forwards, his weight forcing the case to left into the wave.

Harry wondered how long it was going to last, as the wave continued down the slope, Harry's arm starting to tire, occasional flashes of the bone plates appearing. He shot out of the avalanche in a burst of snow, continuing to move across the sand, three people out in front of him looking stunned at what he'd done.

'That was awesome!' one shouted at Harry, not expecting the bored look he got in reply. The others were still stunned, their expressions not changing when two demons burst from the snow behind Harry, dropping towards him, shards of ice thrown at his location. The shards never made it, like the demons, twin machine pistols turning the ice into steam, smoking holes appearing in the demons. By the time they reached the ground the bullets holes had smoke coming from them, the foul smell of burnt flesh driving the three people away quickly. Harry looked around, no other signs of movement.

He unpacked the guitar case, a frozen version of the tree he stored the guitar case around the corner from his current position. He stored it, this time seeing where it went. It appeared to be in the same place, but his hand felt warm when it was close to the case, unlike what it did when it was it was outside, the bone plates keeping his left arm warmer than his right. He tried to get a feel for the frost demons, the strange red energy slowly seeping into his arm, nothing coming to mind like it did previously. He could get a better sense of where they were, but nothing like the lizard demons.

He continued through the frozen park, people locked in icy prisons, some of them armed, others, merely in the wrong place at the wrong time. He looked at one woman, her shape similar to his mothers, her back turned as if to keep the worst of it from her child, but none was present. He hoped the source of this chill was a demon, because he knew how to deal with that. He made himself a promise to break the enchantment on this place. He would make sure each one of these people made it back home, and in the right season.

* * *

'I read about that,' Ginny said, the pair only just out of the town. 'No-one ever knew who killed the creature.'

'It was me,' Harry said, throwing his empty plastic bottle over his shoulder, and nearly fifteen metres away straight into the bin by the bus stop. Ginny passed her bottle over, this time the throw just as accurate over twenty five metres. She looked at Harry, his expression almost nostalgic, before she saw Hedwig land on Harry's arm. 'Hey girl, good sleep?'

Hedwig hooted softly in reply, her plumage bright again, the dark spots on her wings strongly contrasting the white feathers.

'Hedwig found me shortly after I started in that place,' Harry said, not paying attention to the path, yet he avoided the puddles that remained. 'She seemed to be a little thin, but alright, just like I must've looked.'

'Not at the moment,' Ginny said, struggling to keep up with Harry. 'Slow down, you're walking too fast.'

'Sorry,' Harry said with a shrug, Hedwig placing her head under a wing, her actions showing exactly what she wanted to do, Harry smiling at her, though Ginny thought a part of it was also sent at her, rather than the owl. 'Where was I at?'

'You'd just found the woman frozen in snow?' Ginny asked, Harry nodding his reply. Again, he stepped around a puddle, showing no sign he was aware of it.

* * *

Harry was not feeling the cold like he was before, so either his demon blood had adapted to it, or he'd stop feeling it. Either option wasn't a good one, in his still very human mind. He could still feel all of his fingers and toes, so he knew he wasn't in danger yet, but the cold seemed to take that moment to remind him of its presence, a strong wind pushing him into the deep snow, shards of ice following the wind. He pulled his leather duster around him, the motion carrying into the ice shards, blasted back into the wind. They shattered from the opposing forces, gentle drops of water landing on Harry's face, turning to ice the moment they landed. He brushed off the ice, suddenly feeling the snow beneath him shift, falling with the snow into the large pit he could see the reflections from the shards on the frost demons, his machine pistols bursts accurate and short. Each time one of the demons fell fire seemed to leak from the bullet holes, some of the bodies entirely engulfed in flames before they reached the bottom of the pit, the same red energy forming from what was left of them, or their ashes.

Harry landed on his back, the rifle leaving a deep bruise across his back, the machine pistols knocked from his grasp. He sat up, holstering the machine pistols quickly he studied the cavern he was in, giant pillars of ice and snow keeping the ceiling up, no sign of what creature caused have caused it. He felt the energy flow into his arms, but couldn't feel any obvious changes, nor any more tricks coming to mind. He had a feel for what this cavern was, which was enough for the moment.

He started to move deeper into the cavern, a long deep croak echoing. It reached Harry, the sound so confused he couldn't tell where it started or ended. He decided on the rifle, moving slowly down towards it he could make out what could be a set of tracks, only they were so large it had be a demon.

_Good news_ Harry thought, the giant frog, or toad, still croaking. He guessed it might calling more of its kind to this location, the artificial winter what they considered to be the proper environment. He scanned the distance with the scope, his assumption of frog or toad was right, but the size wasn't. This one would have still fit inside the footprints he saw earlier, and it had noticed him, strange tendrils or tentacles disappearing into the ceiling as a cloud of mist surrounded Harry.

He turned suddenly, his rifle raised, a shape moving in the mist. He tried to track it, now another form moving, both of them very clearly female by the shape, human or demon was more the question. He could feel something probing his mind, as if asking for his desires, before they came out of it, entirely naked, long red hair covering their breasts, and very little else. He relaxed for a moment, clawed hands darting towards his chest, his rifle raised again, heavy rounds ripping through the mist, small holes appearing in it. For the two demons that appeared, they vanished in a moment, the shape of the toad appearing in the mist, Harry moving to circle it, his rifle firing. He tried to work out if he hit the creature, sure he heard the sound of ricochets, but the echoes confusing him.

Another few times he fired, the creature disappearing, the feeling of darkness surrounding Harry before he moved, diving and rolling he slung the rifle and drew his sword, now warm to the touch. He swung it through a leg, the blade biting deeply, a foot falling to floor, sickly purple blood following his strike. The blood froze, giving Harry a platform he could leap from, doing so he cleared the demon, as he started to fall he grabbed hold of the two strands of tendrils, pulling them with him as he continued to fall. As he landed he pulled the tendrils, the creature flying into the air and into the side of the cavern. Great sheets of ice broke from the walls and ceiling, falling over the creature, further wounding it. Another tug brought the creature towards Harry, his sword piercing it between the eyes. At first steam, then smoke, came from the wound, the creature cooking from within. Harry ripped his sword free, his action also tearing the two tendrils from the creature's body, now largely bones and ash. He felt his arm change for a moment, whatever demonic aspect it was taking allowing him to absorb the two tendrils, a feeling that there was something he missed in the area coming to mind.

A sea of red energy followed the tendrils into his arm, Harry shaking with the force it entered his arm. His eyes rolled backwards, the feeling overwhelming his mind and crushing his will. More tricks entered his mind, shooting from the air and other places, the ability to form ledges of energy in the air so he could leap higher, knowledge of why his sword now felt warm to the touch, the metal changing its properties to that most effective against his foes. His weapons also changed, the calibre on both the rifle and machine pistols growing, their magazines growing longer too. The scope enlarged, now almost a quarter of the length of the barrel, the stock changing to better allow Harry to shoot at long ranges. As the shaking stopped Harry could breathe again, silver motes of dust floating for nearly a minute, the snow around him melting slowly, not only from his presence, but that of the demon within, the creature delighting in bringing pain to its foes.

A croak echoed in the cavern, this one louder, the icicles shattering as the sound wave passed by Harry, his ears ringing solidly for almost a minute.

'Mum's not happy,' Harry whispered, his voice soft, but still it echoed. He could get a feel for the creature, almost three, perhaps five, times the size of what he'd just slain. He focused on the area he was in, almost able to pinpoint every single crack in the walls in his mind, for a moment it felt like he was out of his body, as if he was stretched between two points. He looked at his arm, clearly demon, the bony plates now looking as if they were tipped with something. Harry wouldn't have called it venom, but there was no way he could be sure.

He felt something inside the cavern call his attention, his mental map telling him exactly where it was. As he walked towards the wall, what he previously thought was a crack turned out to be a character of some type. He mind translated it to challenge of the lineage, which made no sense to him. He held his hand over the mark, the character glowing red for a moment, as it was scanning him, before the world went black, where as he was cold before, now he was sweating, a forest around now.

He turned around quickly, cutting through a couple of tress with his sword, a spectre in front of him. He got a feeling of it being like a recorded message, but who it was meant for he had no idea.

'Son of the Sparda line, here in this place all are challenged, their path shaped. Learn what you can,' the spectre said, and disappeared, Harry having no idea what it was to start off, let alone how he was related to anyone named Sparda.


	6. Fire and ice

Harry was started by the change in position, before he was starting to feel cold, but now he was feeling a little hot. He looked around, now in a court yard of some description. Each of the pillars looked to be carved into the shape of a knight, rather than human they were demonic. Horns and spikes adorned the armour, weapons looked downright evil, but he felt that they were used against evil, rather than for.

Harry's instinct told him there was a test of some type coming. He couldn't be sure what, but somehow he felt it was a test of his strengths which meant arms, strength and something else, he couldn't be sure of what.

He studied the pillars again, each one of the demon knights totally stationary. He walked around the edge of what he now thought of as an arena. The last night he touched was the least adorned, but also least covered in dust. He stopped, one hand on his sword, the other a machine pistol. He turned as a sword shot towards his chest, the machine pistol silent. Harry swore, holstering the machine pistol, both hands on the sword. He barely stopped the sword, the edge biting into his skin, drawing blood. Harry was shocked that he was bleeding, which had not happened since the transformation.

The demon knight took a step back, holding his sword in a loose guard. Harry saluted the demon knight with his sword, barely avoiding the attack from behind. He swung his sword behind him, cutting through half of the blade before his sword was ripped from his hands. He dodged another attack, his coat pinned to the ground by the first demon knight. Harry barely escaped from the swing that would have cut his head off. The red leather fell to the floor as Harry punched the second demon knight, the helmet exploding from the force.

During the break Harry caught his breath, he tried to pull his sword free, the metal blade stuck in the other much larger sword. He kicked the flat of the sword, this time the break complete.

'You sneaky bastard,' Harry muttered, Harry getting the feeling the demon knight smiled at him. This time three more activated. The one Harry defeated returned to where it initially stood, its helmet still imploded. Harry kept his sword moving, still keeping an eye out for more surprises. He expected almost anything, except three of the four charging at him. He spun through their strikes his blade striking three times. Each of the knights fell, all of the cuts appearing on the statues as they appeared again. The number increased again, seven demon knights attacking one after the other, Harry barely having time to move from one to the next.

One by one they fell, either decapitated or missing a limb. As they fell they appeared back to where they started, still showing their wounds. The final set of nine activated, all of them surrounding the first one to activate. It was clear Harry would have to attack them, but he gently bounced on the spot for moment, then charged at the knights. He stepped on the blade of one, pushing himself high into the air, two down in a single swing as their heads rolled on the ground. As he landed he rolled forward, two more of them fell as their legs were cut from their bodies. Harry continued to rise two more filling, this time deep cuts in their torso. The final three moved to surround Harry, his smirk only driving them to attack him. Three blades fell, only to be broken as Harry cut through them, then their wielders, nine more statues showing signs of damage.

'Time for you and me,' Harry said, pointing his sword at the first demon knight. He finally saluted Harry, and Harry had a feeling that this demon knight had a smirk just as large as his. Their blades met, instead of cutting through stone, metal met metal in a shower of sparks as the two duelled. The blades increased in speed, Harry sweating as nearly two metres of steel spun around his body so fast he could barely keep track of his blade, let alone the other.

He saw a pattern appear in his opponent, but he had let one appear in his own, a trap that when spun would instantly end the battle. Harry reversed his swing, his blade ringing from the force of the impact. He kicked at the feet of his opponent, bringing the hilt up to this opponent's helmet. The pommel skidded off the helmet the dent following small in comparison to the damage previously done. He turned quickly, as fast as his opponent, their swords met again, both coming away from the strike with definite cracks along the edge. Harry pulled back, letting the point drop before charging at his opponent, the strike aimed for the gap in the side of the armour. The point bounced along the ground, jumping up to avoid the blade he kicked down, his opponents sword breaking as Harry continued to travel horizontally, his sword cleanly passing through the mail and plate. As he continued forwards the demon knight turned, the sword leaving, the door out now obvious as the statue appeared on the other side of the room. Unlike all of the others it returned unscathed, ready for the next challenger.

Harry collected his coat, then with one final salute to the many knights he fought, he walked through the open doors, ready for the next challenge. He saw a virtually empty room, there were two tables, one at end, with a bag of something. Harry guessed it had to get to the other side. He picked up the bag and tried to open it, but it wouldn't. He bounced it in his hands, its weight almost nothing. As he walked towards the other table it grew in weight but not in size. Another two steps and he guessed it was almost fifty kilograms, another one after that an even hundred. He looked around, trying to see if there was something he was missing. He placed the bag on the ground, trying both doors, but they were locked. He returned to the bag, carrying it back to the starting table, but the door back to the courtyard was still locked. He tried the handle again, the gremlin like creature etched behind the knocker grinning maniacally. He thought about the room for a moment, walking back to the bag. He hefted it a few times.

_Needs more weight_ Harry thought, stopping when he guessed it was around a kilogram or so. He studied the room, looking for any sign of currents, and threw the back the back wall. It sailed in a perfect arc, hitting the back wall, and landing on the table. Harry jogged across the room, almost one hundred metres, to the now open door. He looked at the gremlin in this door, and it didn't look happy. He grabbed the heavy iron ringing, knocking on the door. The gremlin looked even angrier after that, its expression almost lethal. Harry strolled into the next room, not prepared for anything, after all he had proven strength of arms and wit.

'That was smart,' echoed in the room, the voice sounding as if it came from a long way back. Harry tried to see the end of the hall, but there was no sign of anything but more hall way. This had lots of portraits in it. Harry looked at the first, which reminded him of Diagon Alley, despite the damage done to it.

'What are they?' Harry called out.

'What could happen, if you don't succeed,' the voice answered. Harry could only describe the voice as impish, there was no other word that suited the high pitched, yet menacing reply he got.

'Alright, so where are you?' Harry asked.

'Behind you,' the imp said. 'You know this part seems silly now.'

'Throwing the bag?'

'Yes, curse Sparda for locking me in this place, and form,' the imp complained. 'I have to ask you riddles to see how good you are. In fact, I know the perfect one. If you get this, then you deserve all of it.'

'What?'

'Don't you know anything?'

'I'm part demon.'

'You know nothing. No, I'm not explaining it. It's too cliché.'

Harry chuckled at the comment.

'A sense of humour, I like you already. Now I've got a pile of coins, last person to take a coin looses. You can only take one, two or three coins. You can go first because you have a sense of humour,' the imp said, four rows of teeth revealed when it grinned.

'Throwing me a bone?' Harry asked, running through as many combinations as he could. He thought about it for a moment, something telling him to take two coins. 'Two coins, if you insist on letting me go first.'

'Then I'll take one,' the imp replied. It sniggered, something telling Harry to take three.

'Three this time,' Harry said, smirking slightly. He watched as the imp thought for a moment.

'Curses, beaten again!' the imp snarled. Grey skin turned bright red, its tail suddenly revealing a long pointed sting. Its form seemed fluid before it returned to the previous colouring. 'Go, back the way you came. You answer is there.'

'Right, watch the anger,' Harry said. He moved suddenly as the imp spat at him, the faint smell of acid reaching Harry. The imp was flattened by an invisible force, before it slunk off, muttering.

Harry walked back through to where he started, the first demon knight glowing with a soft aura. Silver and gold seemed to be the main colours, why those he didn't know. He touched the wound he caused, now almost closed over. The light leapt from the statue, surrounding him in the aura. Knowledge flooded into his head, unlike what happened with the demonic energy, this time it was far more subtle, patterns of thought that enhanced his own, rather than completely new ideas burned into his mind. He wanted to say he understood, but at the moment he had only just learned whatever it was meant to teach him.

He studied the room, a dark wooden chest, bound in bronze had appeared in the room. He pushed the lid up, nothing but a small amulet in the shape of a broken skull, the crack running down the middle to where the nose should be. He put it on, careful to only handle it with his right hand. He studied the room again, the red rune obvious against the back wall. He touched it, ripped from his feet and back in the ice cavern. He turned to see an even older version of the toad demon. Instead of two tendrils, there were four of them, and try as Harry might, the show that they were putting on was pornographic to put it lightly.

'Is that supposed to distract me?' Harry asked, drawing his blade. 'After everything demon porn is supposed to distract me? They're not that good looking.'

The toad demon roared, chunks of ice almost three times Harry size fell from the ceiling. Sunlight finally reached the interior of the cavern, faint smoke now obvious to Harry's sight. For some reason he seemed to dodge the ice without any effort. The more time he spent dodging, the angrier the toad demon got. Its tongue was caught under a block.

Harry leapt onto the tongue, struggling to run, yet he did so with ease once he got started. The ice broke, the tongue shot back, Harry swallowed. He saw the remains of cattle in the stomach, and a person, but the acid did not touch him. He tried to cut his way free of the stomach, but his sword skimmed on the inner lining. He pushed on it much harder than he had done previously. This time the sword broke through the lining, Harry pulling himself up, using the sword to anchor himself. As he reached the mouth he noticed a soft blue glow surrounding him. He pushed the against the top of the mouth using the guard on his sword to push down, cutting a hole to escape from. He ripped the muscles apart, the lower jaw destroyed. As the creature slumped down in pain a kick reversed the direction of his sword, the demon dead as it tore through the skull, lodged in the ceiling.

As fast as the ice had taken over, it disappeared, nothing but smoke. Harry caught at the side, placing it on his back as the creature faded into the red energy that was often all that was left.


End file.
